JP2004033780A - Light irradiation device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a light irradiation device for photopolymerization having a wide frequency range and large power by combining a plurality of LEDs (light-emitting diod) or LED chips different in light emission frequency. <P>SOLUTION: A number of LEDs 14 are used to synthesize light from the LEDs 14 so that light with strong power can be obtained. In the case of using the light irradiation device using a number of LEDs as a photopolymerization handpiece 10 for curing a dental cavity filling resin in dental curing, since the light absorbing frequency (wavelength)of the filling resin has a certain width (e.g. 430nm to 489nm), the light emission frequency range is varied according to the width. Thus, since the light emission frequencies of the individual LEDs 14 are predetermined, two or more kinds of LED different in light emission frequency are used and suitably combined to widen the range of the light emission frequencies, and also the light emission power distribution in the range can be varied. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

The present invention relates to a light irradiator, and more particularly, to a light irradiation device for photopolymerization for curing a light-curable resin used as a restorative material after forming a tooth, or to illuminate an oral cavity in dental treatment. Light irradiator.

In dental treatment, a light-cured resin is used as a restorative material after tooth formation.When this light-cured resin is used as a restorative material for teeth, for example, it is irradiated with light after bonding to a damaged portion of the tooth. After hardening, the hardened tooth is cut, polished, etc., integrated with the original tooth, and the unbroken tooth is restored with aesthetics.

FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining an example of a conventional photopolymerization handpiece. In the drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes a light source, 2 denotes a lead wire for supplying power to the light source 1, and a cooling fluid for cooling a main body. A hose containing a tube through which it passes, 3 is an elliptical reflection mirror, 4 is a filter, 5 is a condenser lens for converging light from the light source 1 and introducing the light into the light guide 6, 6 is a light guide (optical fiber, quartz, A cooling fluid flow path for flowing a fluid (air or liquid) for cooling the light guide 6; and a photopolymerization handpiece 10 composed of these components. As is well known, the light source 1 is an elliptical reflection mirror. 3, and the light from the light source 1 is reflected by the elliptical reflection mirror 3. The reflected light is introduced into the light guide 6 through the filter 4 and the condenser lens 5, transmitted through the light guide 6, and irradiated on the photopolymerized resin. The filter 4 allows only light having a wavelength component necessary for photopolymerization to pass through the light from the light source 1, and allows light having a wavelength component of, for example, 478 nm to pass.

The light irradiator uses a single high-power light source 1 and allows light from the single light source 1 to be effectively introduced into the light guide 6 using a condenser lens 5. However, since the output of the light source 1 is large, there is a problem that the light guide 6 is thermally damaged, or the handpiece body is overheated, which makes it difficult to use. The piece body is cooled.

As described above, the light irradiator for photopolymerization focuses the light from the light source using the lens and introduces the light into the light guide, so that the light from the light source can be effectively used. , Power up. In addition, since the light guide is cooled by flowing a cooling fluid through the handpiece portion, the light guide does not suffer from thermal damage and is used efficiently (without light transmission loss) for a long period of time. Although the handpiece itself does not become hot, the cooling fluid must be flowed, which increases the size of the device, and furthermore, leads and cooling for the light source. A hose having a built-in fluid tube must be connected, and the handpiece body becomes heavy, and further, there is a problem that the operability is poor due to the presence of the hose.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and in particular, has a small heat generation, and therefore does not require a cooling means, does not require a hose for supplying a cooling fluid, and has a reduced size. Since it can be reduced in weight and does not require a cooling hose, it can be of a type with a built-in power supply battery. Therefore, it is a light irradiator for photopolymerization with good operability, and further irradiates the oral cavity of a patient. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a light irradiator that is suitable for performing the above.

The invention according to claim 1 includes a substrate on which a number of LEDs are provided, and a battery power supply for causing the LEDs to emit light, wherein the number of LEDs are arranged so as to irradiate the emitted light toward the same point. In the light irradiator described above, the plurality of LEDs are characterized in that some of the LEDs have different emission frequencies.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a light irradiator having a substrate on which an LED is provided, and a battery power supply for causing the LED to emit light, and irradiating an object to be irradiated with emission light generated by the LED. The LED is characterized in that a number of LED chips are modularized and arranged on the same substrate, and some of the LED chips have different emission frequencies.

As described above, according to the present invention, by selecting and combining LEDs having different emission frequencies, or by using LEDs in which LED chips having different emission frequencies are combined in advance, an appropriate frequency band and power can be obtained. A light irradiator for resin polymerization having characteristics can be provided.

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic configuration diagram for explaining an example of a light-cured handpiece using an LED as a light source. In the figure, 10 is a light-cured handpiece, 11 is a gripping unit, 12 is a head unit, and 13 is a head unit. The power switch 14 is an LED. The grip unit 11 is provided with a rechargeable battery, irradiation power setting means, irradiation time setting timer, irradiation end warning means (buzzer, pilot lamp), and the like. Is provided with a number of LEDs 14, which preferably emit blue light.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view for explaining an example of the head section 12, in which 14 is an LED, 15 is a substrate holding these LEDs 14, 16 is a transparent protective plate, and 17 is an LED 13 In the present invention, a large number of LEDs 14 are used as a light source, and a large number of LEDs 14 are used as a sensor for detecting reflected light or leaked light, preferably a photodiode. And the light from the multiple LEDs 14 is radiated forward, preferably toward substantially the same point P in front.

FIG. 3 is a view of the LED substrate as viewed from the front, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of the LED holding plate 15 shown in FIG. 3. As shown, it is formed from a portion of a sphere or ellipsoid 15 '. The LED 14 may be directly attached to the holding plate 15, but as shown in the figure, LED holes 15a to 15d to 15n are provided, and these holes are opened toward the approximate center P of the sphere 15 '. If a desired number of LEDs 14 are inserted and held within 15n, the light emitted from each LED 14 goes to point P, is synthesized at point P, and large light energy is generated at point P. If P is matched with the photopolymerized resin, the resin can be effectively cured. In this case, it is assumed that the light emitting surface of each LED is mounted so that the light emitting surface is parallel to the mounting surface and the light emission direction is perpendicular to the mounting surface.

FIG. 5 is a schematic external view showing another example of a light-cured handpiece using an LED as a light source. In this embodiment, in principle, the transparent protective plate 16 in the example shown in FIG. Instead, a light guide 18 having a tapered shape is provided. In this case, light emitted from each LED 14 propagates through the tapered light guide 18 and is emitted from the tip of the light guide 18. By bringing the light emitting end of the light guide 18 closer to the photopolymerized resin, the resin can be cured. Also in this example, of course, the battery described in the example of FIG. 1 and the like are provided in the grip portion 11 (the head portion 12), and the power and the irradiation time of the irradiation light are adjusted as described above. Or an alarm for notifying the end of irradiation. Further, a light guide such as quartz may be used instead of the tapered light guide.

FIG. 6 is an external view showing an example of a charger suitable for charging a battery incorporated in the photopolymerized handpiece as described above. The charger 20 is provided with a grip portion 11 of the photopolymerized handpiece 10. And a charging outlet 21 provided with an outlet through which a plug 19 is removably provided. The grip portion 11 of the photopolymerization handpiece 10 is inserted into the mounting opening 21 so that charging can be performed. It has become. In addition, 22 is a power checker, 23 is a power display, the light emitted from the tip of the light guide is measured by the power checker, and if the normal power is not emitted, the reflected light of the LED 14 by the photodiode 17 By measuring the leak light, it is determined whether the light quantity of the LED 14 is insufficient or the light guide is abnormal (dirty end face).

In the above description, the LED 14 is described assuming an LED having a single LED chip 14 'as shown in FIG. 7, but the LED 14 does not need to be a single LED chip. A large number of LED chips 14 ′ as shown in FIG. 8 may be provided in the form of a module on the base substrate 14 a with their light emitting directions substantially in the same direction. Further, as shown in FIG. The LED chip 14 ′ may be modularized on a single substrate 15, and the modularized LED chip substrate 15 may be used as a single light emitting source. In this case, it is possible to further increase the LED integration density. And more powerful light can be emitted. The base substrate 14a shown in FIG. 8 has a heat sink 14b, and its light irradiation surface may have a flat plate shape as shown in the figure. However, as described above, the light is irradiated from each LED chip 14 'so as to be curved. The substrate 15 shown in FIG. 9 may correspond to the substrate 15 shown in FIG. 2, and the substrate 15 may be curved as shown in FIG. .

As described above, a large number of LEDs can be used, and light from these multiple LEDs can be combined to obtain light with a strong power. When used as a light irradiator for curing the filling resin, the light absorption frequency (wavelength) of the filling resin has a certain width (for example, 430 nm to 480 nm). Just fine. Since the light emission frequency of each LED is determined in advance, the light is utilized, and in the present invention, a plurality of kinds of LEDs having different light emission frequencies are used, and these are used in an appropriate combination, so that the whole is obtained. In this case, the range of the light emission frequency can be widened, and the light emission power distribution within the range can be changed.

At present, the wavelength suitable for curing the dental photopolymerizable composition (resin 1 is, for example, 430 nm to 480 nm, and if there is an LED that emits light of a light wavelength component covering all such bands, the efficiency is high. Although the resin can be cured well, there is actually no LED that generates light of a wavelength component covering such a wide bandwidth. Some of them are LEDs having different emission frequencies, that is, by using a plurality of LEDs having different emission frequencies in combination, it is possible to obtain a light irradiator that covers a wide band and has a power characteristic suitable for the resin. .

When each LED is composed of a plurality of LED chips, by using LED chips having different emission frequencies as the LED chips in each LED, the same operation and effect as described above, that is, covering a wide band, and It is also possible to configure a light irradiator that performs light irradiation whose characteristics are compatible with the photopolymerization and curing of the resin. Further, even when a large number of LED chips are provided on a single substrate, each LED unit can be used. Alternatively, it is also possible to generate light having different emission frequencies for each LED chip.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining an example of a photopolymerized handpiece using an LED. It is an expanded sectional view for explaining an example of a head part. It is the figure which looked at the LED holding board from the front. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of the LED holding substrate shown in FIG. 3. It is a schematic external view which shows the other example of the photocuring handpiece using LED. FIG. 2 is an external view showing an example of a charger suitable for charging a battery built in a photocuring handpiece. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an LED chip of the LED 14. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating another configuration of the LED chip of the LED 14. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example in which a large number of LED chips are provided on a single substrate. It is a schematic structure figure for explaining an example of the conventional handpiece for photopolymerization.

Explanation of reference numerals

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Light-curing handpiece, 11 ... Grip part, 12 ... Head part, 13 ... Power switch, 14 ... LED, 15 ... LED holding board, 16 ... Protective glass plate, 17 ... Photodiode, 18 ... Tapered light guide, 30 ... Connecting part.

Claims (2)

A light irradiator having a substrate on which a number of LEDs are provided, and a battery power source for causing the LEDs to emit light, wherein the number of LEDs are arranged to irradiate the emitted light toward the same point. The light irradiator, wherein the plurality of LEDs have different emission frequencies of some of the LEDs. In a light irradiator having a substrate on which LEDs are provided and a battery power supply for causing the LEDs to emit light, and irradiating an object to be irradiated with emission light generated by the LEDs, the LED includes a plurality of LEDs. A light irradiator characterized in that chips are modularized and arranged on the same substrate, and some of the LED chips have different emission frequencies.

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